


Bounty

by flying_pupitre



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Friends With Benefits, M/M, violations of canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-12
Updated: 2018-04-12
Packaged: 2019-04-21 11:13:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14283675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flying_pupitre/pseuds/flying_pupitre
Summary: “What is it that you think we’re doing here? You have always made it abundantly clear to me that this was nothing more than a delightfully sordid but mutual dalliance."





	Bounty

**Author's Note:**

> added a tiny update because I just really miss them and this show

When they are fourteen Robert sits him and Jace down. He coughs politely, once.

“You may be experiencing some ah- changes-”

It doesn’t really go well and Robert uses a lot of confusing metaphors, but the next afternoon both he and Jace find small boxes of condoms slipped into their bedside tables.

Maryse is more direct.

“You are expected to bring honor to this family. I will not have either of you sully the Lightwood name. I don’t care what you do outside, but use good judgement.”

I.e. fuck who you want, but make an advantageous marriage.

She looks pointedly at him, and he wonders if she’d already somehow surmised, or suspected if anyone could tarnish the Lightwood name it would be him.

When they are fifteen Jace starts disappearing into the night and straggles in at strange hours. Alec catches the odd whiff of moss and jasmine every so often, but he says nothing. By thirteen Jace had already exempted himself from all the rules because he’d established himself as possibly the most prodigious fighter in the New York Institute and that somehow was of utmost importance to the Clave and the Institute.

Not much really changes after he and Jace take the oath at sixteen, except now he can feel reflections of Jace’s emotions in his body. Nothing explicit of course, but he catches little shocks of euphoria, contentment, and a deeper restlessness. Alec doesn’t really understand sex at anything beyond a cerebral level, still, on another night when Jace is gone he lies in bed, idly touching his collar bone, wondering what it would be like to trace the rune just on the cut of Jace’s ribs, to touch his golden hair.

\--

Years pass without much event, until the fall brings Clary Fray, just days after his twenty first birthday. He instantly dislikes her. He knows he’s being unfair, but he knows his place as the one Lightwood incapable of diplomatic charm. It’s the extra missions, the extended teaching/training sessions that he doesn’t like. That, and how he immediately notices how Jace watches her with a gentleness he’s never seen before. Two days after she crash lands in the Institute he is dragged to what he can only describe as a hedonist utopia in the neon lit establishment of a certain Magnus Bane, High Warlock of Brooklyn.

Jace and Izzy don’t seem fazed, but he finds a strange ally-ship in Clary, who looks a little uncomfortable.

“We aren’t slaves to our emotions; we don’t give into our baser impulses.” He explains under the pounding music, keeping an eye out for this Magnus Bane. She nods politely, but seems unconvinced.

“Downworlders don’t care. They’d probably screw just about anything that-”

“Oh I like to think we are more discerning than that.”

A voice cuts in smoothly, and Alec takes a second to realize he’s staring at Magnus Bane, who has materialized seemingly out of no where. He’s both everything and nothing like Alec imagined. He’s seen his photos in the Institute, digitized daguerreotypes. His appearance is more or less the same, boyish face, eternally in his early twenties, dark eyes lined in smoke- colored glitter, shirt carelessly unbuttoned to the middle of his chest, revealing an expanse of golden skin. He carries himself with a catlike fluidity, elegant but clearly powerful. He’s beautiful. Alec can’t help but stare and he realizes he isn’t the only one. Clary and Izzy are both gaping without even trying to be subtle and even Jace seems a little shaken.

“I-”

“We don’t need your judgement here Shadowhunter. My guests are welcome to do as they wish, consensually of course.”

Alec feels an uncomfortable flush, and he realizes it’s somewhat akin to guilt. Magnus’s eyes narrow at him, as if he’s figured out something no one else is privy to. He smirks.

“Ignoring our baser impulses doesn’t make them disappear.”

Jace mercifully interjects then, and uses his charm to persuade Magnus into returning Clary’s memories.

It fails, and Alec feels like a total shit because it’s his fault. No one blames him, not outright per say, but he knows everyone is disappointed.

Magnus looks unconcerned, and leaves without looking at any of them. Alec feels oddly hurt by this, his indifference, and he realizes he’d rather wished their first encounter had been more pleasant.

But he pushes it out of mind. He’s a Shadowhunter and Magnus is Downworlder and neither of them owe each other anything.

\--

He thinks he’ll never see Magnus again, but to his complete astonishment there he is a week later in the Institute. He has that same expression of indifference framed with a hint of annoyance. Alec doesn’t know why he’s there, but before he even knows what he’s doing he’s compelled to intercept Magnus in an empty hallway just inside the entrance. Magnus seems surprised, but doesn’t try to side step him.

“Did you have some business here?” he begins awkwardly.

“Somewhat. Due to the recent spate of demon attacks apparently the integrity of some of my wards have come into question. Naturally I’m a little insulted, as the High Warlock of Brooklyn I really only hold myself to the highest of standards, yet the Clave will always doubt the intentions of a Downworlder. I suppose we’re just one step away from embracing our inner demonic natures.” He grins wryly at Alec.

Alec flushes.

“I’m sorry.”

Magnus raises an eyebrow.

“I’m sorry about the other night.” He clarifies.

“Ah. Are you actually sorry, or only sorry I heard you?”

Alec says nothing, casts his eyes downwards. He feels hot and uncomfortable and he doesn’t even know why he bothered doing this at all.  

“I’ve heard worse, Alexander Lightwood. I honestly assumed you were quoting one of your Shadowhunter textbooks. Though I must say I’m a little surprised. Those of Nephilim blood hardly ever apologize for what they say.”

Alec’s not sure about the last time anyone has used his full name. It falls from of Magnus’s lips and glides up his arm, making the hair on the back of his neck stand. Magnus contemplates him thoughtfully, and he flushes again under the warlock’s steady gaze. He realizes Magnus has taken a step closer to him, but with a little horror he realizes he’s unwilling to step back. Magnus is like a vortex, and he’s getting sucked in. Surely this must happen to everyone, the High Warlock of Brooklyn is stunning and powerful and suddenly he yearns to close the space. Magnus takes another step closer and _fuck_ Alec can’t control the way sucks in a breath.

Magnus scrutinizes him with half-lidded eyes and Alec realizes he’s about to be kissed. But it doesn’t happen. Magnus is watching him, mouth in a smirk but eyes hard.

“So. Not as disinterested as all that.”

He stops just short of Alec’s face

“I’m not really into the whole his lips said no but his body said yes thing. It’s archaic and creepy. But you can kiss me, if you want.” He breathes, just against Alec’s lips. And so Alec does. It’s awkward and he feels like he’s probably terrible at this but Magnus doesn’t seem to mind, easily taking control and deepening the kiss. Alec’s heart is racing, his nerve endings on fire. He thinks he would feel ashamed and he does, but it doesn’t stop him from kissing Magnus back, or sliding a hand up Magnus’s shoulder. Magnus steps back abruptly, and Alec is at least aware enough to hate himself a little for this incredibly hypocritical display of emotion. Magnus smirks again, maybe a little cruelly, but there’s a flash of something else there too. Something a little softer. Alec shudders.

Magnus steps into his space and Alec thinks he’s going to be kissed again but Magnus reaches up with a hand to grip his chin, gently but firmly.

“As a Downworlder I’m not above hedonistic displays of emotion, Alexander. You let me know if you want to give into your baser impulses sometime.”

A lascivious wink and Magnus is gone. Alec can still feel the pressure of Magnus’s fingers on his chin. 

He punches a wall, then storms out to find Jace.

\--

  1. Find someone you are attracted to
  2. Find someone you don’t respect
  3. Find someone you’d never fall in love with, not in a million years



At least that’s that’s the rules of a hookup according to Jace, who honestly for the most part is incredibly unreliable.   

\--

They aren’t thrown together for at least another month. There’s a shax demon attacks in Williamsburg. It’s just him and Jace, Izzy and Clary tracking another attack on the lower east side. Jace seems angry, and Alec dimly suspects it has something to do with Clary. It bothers him, but not as much as he thought. They aren’t as in sync as they usually are, but they manage, Alec shooting a demon with his arrows and Jace getting a clean stab with his seraph blade. Neither of them realize there is a third, until a flash of blue light and the demon falls at their feet with a dull thump, Magnus Bane staring at the limp form managing to look both irritated and bored. The demon seems to hiss out the word _Magnus_ before writhing horribly once and dying. Jace lopes off without so much as a glance at either them. Alec thinks about going after him, but something pulls him back.

“I- it said your name.” Alec pokes at the Shax demon once with his toe, and raises an eyebrow at Magnus.

Magnus shrugs.

“You must have misheard.”

Alec is fairly certain he didn’t, and opens his mouth to press the issue, but instead what comes is:

“Want to make out for a bit?”

He honestly feels like he could die right then and there, if only there was another Shax demon in the shadows that could give him a quick death. He’s so busy fuming that he just registers Magnus saying yes, clearly entertained.

And that’s how he ends up in Magnus Bane’s apartment for the second time, sprawled under the High Warlock of Brooklyn, one hand under Magnus’s shirt while they kiss leisurely for an hour or two before Alec slinks home not quite ashamed but not exactly proud either.

\--

Things sort of escalate after that. Alec’s got it all under control, or so he thinks. He’s following Jace’s stupid rules, no one’s broken his mother’s commandments yet. And Magnus is a Downworlder; he can be trusted to be discreet.

He finds or makes time to slip away. An hour on a Thursday, two on the following Sunday. It crosses his mind that he’s treading on dangerous ground, but Magnus pressing a kiss to the curve of his hip, mouthing at his cock through his thin briefs is enough to make another trip to Brooklyn.

\--

One day he decides he’s ready to move forward, due in part to boredom of his virginity and also in part to the fact there was no one in his radius he could seek out for a Clave sanctioned fuck. He mentions this to Magnus, who seems a little hesitant in addition to amused.

“And you want to lose your virginity to me?”

“Virginity is a social construct Magnus.”

The corner of Magnus’s lips lifts a little at that.

“Sure, but your first time should be special.”

But Magnus does agree, and reminds Alec that they can stop at any point. There is a part of Alec that hopes it’s shitty and terrible, that he can just walk away from this with his dignity more or less intact, that he can prove to himself once and for all he’s very much capable of toeing the Lightwood family party line. 

He unbuttons his coat and pulls off his shirt, fluid and business like. But then he sees Magnus unbuttoning his shift, fingers almost clumsy. In the dim light of Magnus’s bedroom his face he looks impossibly young, his face reflecting when he’d stopped aging, and not a 400-year-old warlock with 17000 past lovers. “Come here.”  Alec reaches out and pulls Magnus on top of him and kisses him.

Magnus kisses him back gently, almost politely and Alec is struck by how different it feels from Magnus’s usual careless but intentional kisses. It’s not shitty, not even close. Magnus is patient with him, tender as he undresses Alec slowly. They kiss for a long time, Magnus running a meditative hand down Alec’s sides and stroking Alec’s cock thoughtfully. When Alec is wet, ready, Magnus works his fingers inside, moving almost unbearably slowly. It wasn’t that Magnus was just the easy option. He trusts him, Alec realizes. And even if this was never going to go anywhere, at least Magnus seemed to want him too, if just for tonight. When Magnus finally enters him it’s a little strange, but quickly ebbs into something intensely and indescribably good. Nothing could have prepared him for this. The feel of Magnus's body, the way Magnus stares at him, intently but with something that Alec can believe is affection. His eyes are engulfed in gold, glamour broken. He doesn't know why he thinks of it just then, but it reminds Alec of the light in the chapel, warm and heavy through the stained glass during dusk. He comes like that, his entire field of vision flooded by the intoxicating gold of Magnus’s eyes, dimly registering Magnus murmuring his name.

Afterwards he hesitates by the bed a second, wondering if he should maybe stay. Magnus says nothing, watching him carefully. His phone rings out an alarm just then, and Magnus casually waves a dismissive hand, face impenetrable. Maybe some other Shadowhunter could just answer the call and he considers saying so to Magnus, but Magnus is already pulling on his pants and Alec thinks better of it. He dresses quickly, wondering if the flash of something across Magnus’s face was disappointment. He thinks about what Magnus said, later, about someone’s first time being special. But Magnus is special, purely objectively speaking, even if Alec didn’t have the guts to tell him so.

He doesn’t stay the next time, or the next. But the fourth time’s the charm, more of an accident really, because they had to fight off a horde of demons first oddly close to Magnus’s apartment. A quick, nearly clinical fuck and they’d ended up passing out together immediately afterwards. Magnus’s eyes were closed before he could help himself, magic depletion maybe, head pillowed on Alec’s chest. Alec hadn’t the heart to wake him, and ended up falling asleep himself.

In the morning Magnus says nothing, but silently offers Alec a freshly brewed cup of coffee.

\--

Tensions between the Downworld and the Clave worsen which means more meetings, and the first two Saturdays of the month he’s stuck in the Institute. But on the third Saturday he’s on his knees in the foyer of Magnus’s apartment, sucking Magnus’s cock, palm against Magnus’s hip to draw him in deeper. Magnus is leaning back heavily against the shelf, one hand resting easily in Alec’s hair. He gently touches Alec’s jaw, and pulls Alec up to kiss him. Alec kisses him back hungrily, it feels like it’s been forever, and hitches one of Magnus’s legs up around his waist and grinds against him slowly. He trails kiss along Magnus’s jaw, sucks a mark into the skin just below Magnus’s ear.

“Fuck me.” Magnus breathes out, against Alec’s temple. Alec draws back a little, just to ensure he hadn’t heard wrong. He scans Magnus’s eyes, blown gold and lidded in desire.

“What like this?”

Magnus smirks a little and mutters something like _maybe one day_ and slips out of Alec’s arms to pull him towards the bedroom.

He nervous, he’s never done this, but he hopes it doesn’t show. Magnus was capable of rough passionate sex, which Alec not only liked but encouraged on occasion, making good use of Alec’s flexibility rune. But with Magnus under him, staring into his face he finds that sense of urgency and recklessness diminish. He allows time to slow down, leisurely kissing Magnus while working his body open with his fingers. He fucks him shallowly, crooking his finger like Magnus always did, feeling for that bundle of nerves that made Magnus’s body liquefy. He licks at Magnus’s throat, twines his free hand in Magnus’s until Magnus twists impatiently beneath him and requests Alec not to make him beg. Alec obliges, tentatively at first, gasping at the feeling of Magnus’s tightness around his cock. He picks up the pace a little, carefully watching Magnus’s face for any signs of discomfort. But Magnus’s head is thrown back against the headboard, and he starts babbling nonsense in Alec’s ear.“You’re so beautiful.” Alec whispers before he can stop himself, and he thinks he can see Magnus’s eyes widen a little at that.

Time stretches on. They’re more talkative afterwards, Magnus relaying what he really thinks of the Seelie Queen as he pulls on his shirt from the floor. Alec shares bits and pieces of scandalous Clave gossip, mostly so that he can watch Magnus smile. They aren’t friends exactly, but they aren’t enemies either. After a month or so Alec lingers in the morning long enough that he learns he makes good coffee, better than Magnus. Magnus will occasionally conjure up something, if either of them are hungry afterwards. Alec tries not to make a habit of it, but after awhile he finds he longer cares in the same way he used to about the urgency of getting back to the Institute. And to be honest, Magnus didn't seem to mind either. Sometimes when he leaves he thinks he can see a flicker of something in Magnus's face, not quite hurt, but it's always replaced quickly by a careful blank. And he can't say with certainty that he's not just imagining things, or engaging in wishful thinking.

If Jace notices he says nothing. He’s busy with Clary and maybe something else, Alec suspects, but he doesn’t push it. Izzy seems like she’s off in her own world these days, eyes distant and strained. It hurts. He’s never been so removed from his siblings but he’d kept Kaelie, Meliorn, others for them and he wants to keep Magnus for himself if just for a little longer.  

\--

“Why do they call you Magnus Bane?”

Magnus quirks an eyebrow.

“A lot of questions tonight, Alexander.”

They’re lying in Magnus’s bed, clothes strewn on the floor, soft gold sheets rumpled.

“Tell me,” Alec beseeches.  

Magnus looks thoughtful for a second. Alec is almost afraid he won’t answer, but he finally does.

“I didn’t choose it. The Silent Brothers of Madrid did. I suppose they wanted something simple and slightly sinister.”

Seriously, screw the Clave, Alec fumes inwardly. Screw them for imposing that on a little boy. Only the Clave would come up with something so intentionally prophetic. Magnus notes his feelings. He grins wryly.

“Don’t worry Alexander, I don’t mind it. It’s not completely inaccurate.”

Magnus watches his face with warm eyes and a hint of amusement.

“Why do they call you Alec?”

Alec grins.

“It was Izzy. She couldn’t really say x’s when she was little. It was actually more like Owweck, at least at first, and then Alec sort of stuck.”

“One more question.” And he smiles as Magnus sighs. He knows. It’s late and they’re tired and honestly he should be leaving soon but he’s been wanting this answer for so long.

“Why do you call me Alexander?”

Magnus’s eyes narrow slightly in surprise. He looks away, contemplative. 

“Alexander means defender of men. It is the name for a great man, for a great king.”

His eyes hold Alec’s.

“It’s time you were reminded of that.”

\--

He tries to read or get caught up on more work but his thoughts are racing and he can’t focus. He needs to get up and do something, spar, get some air. He stalks down to the common area to find someone, anyone he can practice with. Jace is off somewhere brooding and Izzy is no where to be found so of course, of course its Clary Fairchild bent over her sketchpad on the sofa, one leg tucked underneath her. He almost successfully backs out without her noticing but her hazel eyes flash up and he starts when he sees her eyes look a little red and her face slightly flushed.

She appraises his outfit quickly.

“Are you going to go train?”

“Yes.”

“Wanna spar?”

Against his better judgment he says yes and five minutes later they are walking in silence towards the combat rooms. He doesn’t go easy on her. She’s gotten better, he realizes, astonished and a little impressed. She blocks his blows and is able to get in a good four, five solid punches before he deftly knocks her down. She’s up before he can even ask if she’s ok and counters with a roundhouse kick that he just barely deflects. They go again, right hook, upper cut, roundhouse again and he throws her off. She swiftly jerks herself to her feet and fuck he can see that she’s breathing heavily and trying not to cry. He really needs to leave before she says anything-

“It’s just hard, sometimes. You know, with Jace.”

Alec sighs because he’s not good at this and it’s really a job for Izzy or literally any other person who isn’t him but he, more than anyone else, can understand that loving Jace is at times incredibly difficult.

“I- do you want to talk about it?” he manages unwillingly. Her eyes widen a little and she gives a little surprised laugh. She scrubs her face, a little roughly.

“That was really hard for you, wasn’t it? It’s ok, I’m sorry I said anything. Shall we go again?”

He almost says there isn’t any need to apologize but she takes the fighters stance again and he doesn’t press it. They go at it for another thirty minutes or so. She manages to knock him down once, and he’s a little taken by the surprised delight that briefly spreads across her face.

“Well done.” He says, and he means it. She grins.

Later, when they’re unwrapping their wrist bandages and packing up he realizes she keeps glancing at him. He exhales.

“Look. Jace can be hard- headed and incredibly stupid, but I know he cares about you. Sometimes you can’t have people exactly the way you want. But sometimes its still worth it anyway.”

She looks so stunned that he immediately regrets everything. Her eyes soften, and she looks at him with a disconcerting warmth.

“Speaking from experience?”

“Of course not.”

Clary narrows her eyes, and mulls this over briefly. She smiles.

“You should tell him how you feel.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Sure.”

The Angel is kind because the alert for a briefing rings out and he’s about to spin out on his heel to leave but she grabs his arm and reaches out to adjust his shirt where it has ridden up on his torso, pulling it over what he realizes is a dark mouth- shaped bruise he’d forgotten to iratze away. Before he can say anything she’s striding out, face determined.

She never brings it up or mentions it to him. He’s grateful.

\--

One night he leaves Magnus’s building, only to find Raphael staring at him from the dim shadows.

“God you reek.” Raphael sneers, lip curling in disgust. Alec has the good sense to look away.

“What do you want, Raphael.”

“I’m sure you already knew this, but there have been demon sightings around the vamp dens. They’re getting closer, and I think they're starting to circle around people they know are connected to Magnus. So me. I just wanted to let Magnus know, since this bounty on his head is starting to affect other people as well. Why are you looking at me like that?”

Alec didn’t realize he was looking like anything at all, but he is shocked to be hearing this for the first time. He had his suspicions, the demon attacks were always oddly near Magnus’s neighborhood, but Magnus never mentioned a thing. He realizes Raphael is staring at him curiously.

“You know I never really pegged you to be Magnus’s type.”

“I’m not. We’re not.”

“Oh it’s like that, then.”

Alec flushes, a miserable sweat accumulating down his spine.

“Magnus knows what he’s doing.”

“Do you?”

“I’m fine.”

“Right, because that’s who I give two shits about. Anyway, I'm going upstairs now.” Raphael rolls his eyes dismissively, not bothering to hide his disgust. The vampire flashes off, and Alec stares up at Magnus’s balcony, just discernible from this angle.

\--

In the morning he finds Lydia, who seems surprised to be addressed directly by him.

“Did you know Magnus has a bounty on his head?”

“Bane?”

God how many Magnuses did Lydia fucking know?

“I- yes. The High Warlock of Brooklyn.”

“Well yes, but we’ve only just found out. It’s not really a Clave concern though.”

She raises a quizzical eyebrow, but turns back to the file in her hands to indicate the conversation is over. Alec is suddenly livid, and has to clench his jaw to keep from saying anything. He silences his phone and stalks out, making his way to Brooklyn.

\--

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Tell you what, Alexander.” Magnus replies smoothly, but his body is tense.

Alec hates himself when he’s like this, face blotchy, knuckles white but the forty-minute train ride did nothing to ebb his fury.

“The bounty.”

“Ah, well yes, apparently I’m quite the hot ticket currently for Greater Demons.” He quips lightly.

“Don’t joke.” Alec bites out.

Magnus draws himself up to his full height and crosses his arms.

“I’m not sure I understand the issue here.”

“Why didn’t you tell me? Did you not think it was important enough to maybe share this with me?”

Magnus’s eyes narrow, and clenches his jaw.

“What is it that you think we’re doing here? You have always made it abundantly clear to me that this was nothing more than a delightfully sordid but mutual dalliance.”

Alec flinches at that. Magnus isn't wrong. But it’s different now, his world, his rules had been completely upended. They’d been fucking for nearly six months. There were times when he’d thought about staying, of buying Magnus dinner. However, he was fool, they both were, and there never seemed to be a good time to rework the terms. He tells Magnus so, about it being different now, frustrated as Magnus views him impassively, but Alec realizes with a start his eyes are shining gold. There are words he's been longing to say for months, and they rise up in his throat like bile. He forces them down. If Magnus was just going to stand there, body in battle mode, it seemed for naught anyway. He's starting to feel very idiotic, and is almost ready to tell Magnus to forget it, forget all of it. In his head he tells himself that he doesn't know why he was so perturbed; that his little outburst was so uncharacteristic of him. But he's a liar, and he knows exactly why. Magnus no longer looks furious, only weary. Alec can see the weight of his years, everything Magnus has ever seen. He seems to come to some sort of decision, and Alec's heart starts sinking before he can stop it.

Magnus opens his mouth to say something but Alec never finds out what because there is a terrible crash and they are both thrown backwards. When Alec lurches to his feet he realizes in horror Magnus is entangled in a cloud of heavy black stinking smoke. A demon of some kind, but one Alec has never seen before. The smoke slowly settles into a human like shape, with a tiny red spot above two dark eye sockets, pluming around Magnus. He screams in agony, and Alec draws an arrow.

“Stay Shadowhunter, or he’ll be dead before the arrow even leaves your string. Well well well, Magnus Bane, son of Asmodeus. I’m sure Daddy will be pleased you’ve shacked up with a Shadowhunter. Oh, and what’s this?” The demon pauses, almost thoughtfully, and squeezes Magnus again, nonchalantly. Magnus shrieks again; it rips through Alec’s body.

“You love him?” the demon muses disbelievingly, sounding so oddly human. Alec’s eyes widen for a split second, lock with Magnus's before the demon rounds on him.

“Really this will be so fun.” The horrible voice seems to echo around them. “I’ll kill him, very slowly, and then you and I can take our fun little trip to hell Magnus Bane, son of Asmodeus.”

Alec’s has just enough time to react, letting an arrow fly in the demon’s direction.

It seemingly does nothing, but its enough of a distraction that Magnus worms free and casts a spell, holding the demon into a semblance of a shape, dot glowing red.

“Alexander the eye!” he manages, just before his hold breaks and the demon menaces towards Alec in fury. It’s enough; Alec is able to take aim and his arrow flies true. The demon lets out a terrible drawn out screech, shattering the glass and causing Alec to fall to his knees, holding his head screaming. The smoke swirls around Magnus again before clearing out as suddenly as it arrived. Magnus is slumped on the ground, face terribly pale and barely responsive when Alec stumbles over to him.

“Magnus,” he hisses urgently, slapping the other man’s face a little. “Magnus, I need you to portal us back to the Institute. Can you do that?”

Magnus nods imperceptibly. There is a moment of terror when Alec thinks he won’t be strong enough and he’s going to have to watch Magnus die. But Magnus is finally able to throw open a portal. He goes very still in Alec’s arms, and Alec just manages to shove them through before it closes.

\--

No one noticed the long hours Alec spent away from the Institute. No one ever questioned him, or maybe even thought to ask.

But he feels the questions now, slamming through the front entry way, Magnus cradled in his arms.

He remembers a lot of hushed whispers, something about Warlocks, Heads of the Institutes, betrayal etc. His mother burst in then, notified of the unsanctioned portal. Her body is ready for battle; her face is illegible. Alec knows in one glance she sees everything.

“Mother, we have to help him.” He just manages to get out, doing his best not to cry.

Her lips are drawn into a thin, hard line; she stares through like she’s seeing him for the first time in her life. Jace, Izzy, and Clary run in right then, gaping at him, just as stupefied.

“Mama-”

It’s this that jolts her into action, barking orders while Jace pulls Alec off of Magnus’s body. It’s all a blur after that, medics taking Magnus away and Jace holding him with crushing force as he’d stared after them, dry heaving in front of everyone who is anyone at the Institute.

\--

Two days later he’s there in the Infirmary, when Magnus’s eyes slowly pry open. Alec hadn’t left Magnus’s side once. Izzy tried to get him to take breaks but he’d refused. It was better than confronting his mother, who was resolutely not speaking to him, or Jace, who was maybe more upset about the lying and sneaking around than his choice of partner. He’d gone back and forth with the medic, who assured him Magnus would live, though would likely take some time to fully heal.

“Alexander.”

“Is it true?”

Alec knows his words are blunt, and he would have led with something else but diplomacy was Magnus’s thing, not his. He should probably wait until Magnus is stronger, but somehow somewhere he'd already missed about a million chances and couldn't let another one go. Magnus glances away from him, stares into space.

“Is it true? What the demon said. Before it er- tried to kill me.”

Magnus’s mouth twists, but he says nothing. He doesn’t seem angry though, or dispassionate. Just worn.

“I love you.” Alec blurts, before he’s able to stop himself. Magnus’s eyes fly to his in shock, but Alec keeps rambling. Apparently he is nothing if not persistent. “You don’t have to say it back or even feel it, but please just let me take care of you until you are well again. Then I’ll drop it, I won’t bother you anymore.”

The silence that follows is deafening, and inwardly Alec is already bemoaning his incredible stupidity.

“I do love you.” Magnus’s voice penetrates the stillness, and he searches Magnus’s face, almost certain he misheard. Magnus’s eyes are unreadable, but he slowly draws out his hand from under the covers and weakly places it near Alec’s. Alec closes the space, hand shaking, and very carefully takes Magnus’s hand into his own.

"So I suppose you'll want to take me out. Walks in the park, expensive gifts, sweet nothings and all that." Magnus quips, tone light but eyes serious. 

“Something like that." Alec laughs, but it sounds like a sob. He grows thoughtful, and looks away. He's elated, but something still aches anyway. "You can change your mind, you know, once you get better.” Alec murmurs quietly, not quite able to meet Magnus’s eyes. Magnus squeezes his hand once.

The warlock doesn’t.

\--

In September they survive their first dinner with Maryse, and then a few weeks later Simon Lewis’s 20th, which Magnus offers, well magnanimously to host. During the first week in October, he convinces Magnus to meet him in Manhattan, in front of a restaurant Simon had recommended. Alec wears his second best shirt and his third best suit. He observes Magnus appraising in the dim lighting, fresh flowers in the entryway, and Alec’s hair, which Izzy had helped him fix up. Magnus smiles a little, clearly charmed, and squeezes Alec's hand once. Alec can feel Magnus's wry grin in his direction as he orders with the waiter, choosing a bottle of wine that’s probably a little too expensive but what did it matter. He’s been saving up for this any way. Across the table Magnus folds his hands as the waiter pours the wine, lips curving upwards sympathetically and eyes crinkling when Alec doesn’t know what to do when the waiter asks him to taste it and make sure it’s alright. Magnus is still smirking, but his eyes are soft, warm when Alec holds up his glass.

“A toast.”

“To what, Alexander?”

“To baser impulses.”

Magnus laughs then, the genuine delight in the sound reverberating somewhere deep inside Alec's heart. Magnus raises his glass in one hand, reaches the other across the table towards Alec. 

“To baser impulses.”

 

 

End


End file.
